DLP Guide Forum - The Disneyland Paris magicforum community

Hello folks,

thanks once again to those who helped planning our vacation in Florida. I had an amazing time, loved the Sunshine State, got bad news and realized again what a wonderful and friendly place WDW is.

I just would like a couple of thoughts and also comparisons with our dear DLP about WDW. If you guys are interested, I'll also add some more stuff about SeaWorld and Florida in general...

Before giving a "verdict" on WDW as a whole, I guess I better start of with a quick visit to each and every park.
So, let's start with...

The Magic Kingdom
To be blunt, we only spent half a day here. There wasn't that much that interested us. The park has got a couple of wonderful rides. But taken together as an ensemble, the MK just falls incredibly flat: the lands have more the feeling of one-way-streets, transitions between areas is weak at best and the shows just look incredibly old and low-key... (this all coming from a long-time DLP-lover). But as I said, the single "elements" are good.
"Splash Mountain" is still one of the most wonderful, atmospheric and storytelling Disney-attractions ever. And I still wish, there'd be one in Paris.
"Big Thunder Mountain Railroad" is a fun coaster with some wonderful landscaping surrounding it. Even if not placed on an island, you cannot do much wrong with BTM.

"The Haunted Mansion" looked terrific!! That's the only ride at the MK that I had to do twice just because it looked - and sounded! - so good. They even have a neat little effect (don't know if it's new though) outside, so it looks like the Mansion is light be lightning every once in a while. The new staircase scene was great as was the one in the Attic with the bride. And I would say that I prefer the cemetary scene over our Ghost valley finale. But that's just me.
I wasn't too impressed with the floating Leota, however. It kinda looked like a ball on a Christmas tree. I think, also storywise, it comes better off when Leota is at the centre of the sceance...

"Pirates" at WDW feels so much weaker (and rushed). And Jack Sparrow doesn't add anything to it, unfortunately. And no matter how good they get at AAs, you just know it's not Johnny Depp. And this is distracting a bit from the other characters. So I am glad we have got our old-fashioned "Pirates" at DLP. (At least for now.) The Davy Jones projection in the beginning is quite cool, though.

Tomorrowland looks great when approached from the Central Plaza. I just love this Buck Rogers approach. But it only lasts till the Astro Orbiter and then it looks so barren with their "Autopia"-version to the left and the lonely "Caroussel of Progress" (which looks a bit out of place...) to the right.
Only thing I did here was the "Laugh Floor". It's not that bad, actually. Great little jokes in the queue, fun characters, all in all a nice diversion. But why this show is in Tomorrowland is really beyond me. It would have been a great fit for the Studios, though.

It's good to hear that Fantasyland finally gets an expansion. As of now, it makes our WDS look beautifully themed and detailed. Watched "Philharmagic" again and we all loved it. Fun Disney Magic, I'd say. (Not as brilliant as "Muppets", though.) It's a great tribute to some wonderful Disney films and to Donald Duck - who is painfully neglected at Disney, most of the time, I think. (Try to find some good merchandise with the Duck, for example...)

"Wishes" was a nice end to our day, but I would rate DLP's version higher. 16 minutes of nothing but pretty shells and explosions gets a bit old. A 10-minute-show with more variety would have been enough, in my oppinion.


We enjoyed a quick lunch at Pecos Bill Café in Frontierland. (And when I say quick, I mean quick! The counter service restaurants at WDW work incredibly fast... or the ones in Paris incredibily slow... You be the judge.  :wink: ) Had a Taco Salad that reminded me of Fuente. Also got a hot dog at Casey's Corner with a bun that decompesed itself almost immediately. Missed Paris' hot dogs...  

So much for the Magic Kingdom...

Lol, I look forward to reading the rest. So far, I very much agree with your assessment. It is sad to think that poor excuse for a MK is the so called world's most visited. It annoys me that I know so many people in the UK that "Love the MK" and yet have never been to DLP.

While i do agree in part to where your coming from i do persoanly prefer WDW MK to Paris.

The Jungle Cruise , Splash Mountain , Philamagic all top of our fav attractions which Paris doesn't have. I prefer the Florida Space Mountain to WDW , as in it doesn't nearly kill me when i ride it :)
There are not many rides unique to Paris that i really like. Your right in Pirates is better done in Paris and Autopia i do prefer in Paris but it's a close call with that 1.

You mentioned the "fast" food in WDW. This was a major bug bear for us in Paris this June. 45 mins wait in Hyperion on one visit which was well after main eating time. Never a shortish wait where ever we ate and food usually cold by the time you find a seat. In comparison , our WDW trip in September there was so good. Very little wait time and with the space they have there loads and loads of tables free. Even when busy they seem to cope so much easier with queues in Florida than Paris does.

I'll just touch briefly on the weather , if you've been to both parks you know what a difference walking round in warm or hot sunny weather can make to your overall frame of mind. I know Paris can't do anything about the weather but it is still a factor for many.

I like Paris for the ease of getting from Hotel to park and being smaller in scale it's nice to get from one bit to another without getting lost. I like the theming of all the resort hotels and off course it's only a 1-2 hour flight with a short easy bus trip to your hotel.
For convenience you just can't beat Paris but for the money andeffort i would spend the bit more and hit Orlando every time.

I really don't think that MK in Orlando should be described as "a poor excuse" , of course that's just my humble opinion  :)

Look forward to hearing your thoughts on Hollywood Studios and other parks as well.

Lol, it shows different strokes. for me I do feel the MK is a "poor excuse" and the weather is a factor too. I hate the humidity. There are maybe 3 months a year where I can tollerate Florida, compared to 9 months a year for Paris. Lol

Also, the MK has the very worst versions of the dark rides, IASW, PotC, and I prefer Phantom Manor to the HM. Also, there is more to see in terms of decor and walk throughs in Paris than the MK.

Rule of thumb, never eat in Discoverland, ever. Sad to say it, but it's true. At least you can get variety in dining in DLP, the same sadly cannot be said for the MK, where it is burgers, hot dogs, chicken and that's pretty much it.

Quote from: "Hibernia"You mentioned the "fast" food in WDW. This was a major bug bear for us in Paris this June. 45 mins wait in Hyperion on one visit which was well after main eating time. Never a shortish wait where ever we ate and food usually cold by the time you find a seat. In comparison , our WDW trip in September there was so good. Very little wait time and with the space they have there loads and loads of tables free. Even when busy they seem to cope so much easier with queues in Florida than Paris does..

Yes, when it comes to counter service restaurants, WDW wins big time over Paris. Though the queues in Paris might also result due to the more frequent language issues they have there... still, I would say waiting more than 20 minutes at any counter service restaurant is unaccaptable.
When it comes to attraction-queues, though, I would rate Paris just as efficient as WDW - if not even a bit more efficient...

QuoteI'll just touch briefly on the weather , if you've been to both parks you know what a difference walking round in warm or hot sunny weather can make to your overall frame of mind. I know Paris can't do anything about the weather but it is still a factor for many.

True, Florida has a warmer, sunnier climate than Paris. But you could also turn this argument around: it is almost unbearable walking through the Florida parks in summer when heat, humidity and frequent thunderstorms (which also affect the operations of most rides!!!) put a huge damper on your holiday.
We were lucky with our week at WDW, but a couple of days earlier we visited SeaWorld - and the weather was almost like in August. It really was too much and we were pretty much just trying to get to the next air conditioned area as quickly as possible. (And then, the air cons are usually set to way too cold...)

QuoteI really don't think that MK in Orlando should be described as "a poor excuse" , of course that's just my humble opinion  :)

The MK is probably not a "poor excuse". It was the 2nd Disneyland-style park and they tried out some great new designs. Unfortunately, many areas of the park still seem to be stuck in the early 70s... that's why I said that - next to some great attractions - the park doesn't really work too well as an "ensemble", if you know what I mean.

Animal Kingdom

There's no denying it: this is my favourite park at WDW. Add a couple more things to do and this would be a favourite Disney park.
It's just something so otherworldy about this place. (Which is weird, as it depicts more of "real issues" than any other park.) The detail and the charm about the place is just magical. (And no, I don't mean the copyrighted Disney-marketing magic..) It's a place with great thrills, but more importantly, a place that just invites you to relax and to experience something new, something unique, something very personal. If you've ever spent time just watching the gorillas in Africa, the tigers in Asia or even just the busy otters next to the Tree of Life, you know what I mean.

Some more thoughts:

"Kilimanjaro Safaris" is a work of art. True, they cannot controll their show scenes that much. The animals are free roaming. So it's not guaranteed that you see any. But when you do, that makes it all the more special. We had some great guides. The poacher-storyline comes a bit short now, though. Which I don't really mind...
The "Pangani Forest" trail is one of the most beautiful areas ever. (But that also goes for other parts of Animal Kingdom, like the Tree of Life trails...)
Didn't care about seeing that much backstage stuff on the train ride to "Planet Watch"...

We didn't eat at "Yak & Yeti", unfortunately. But the new outdoor counter service eatery fits in quite well with Asia. And they had some great Asian noodles, too. I also loved the stand that sold all kinds of teas...
"Kali River Rapids" is fun - albeit too short. You do get soaking wet, though. And the queue and the views of Everest are beautiful.
"Expedition Everest" has one of the most beautiful lines ever. The little Nepalese village with all its little story-hints make this coaster really special. The ride is intense - but to a rate, where it can still be enjoyed by the whole family. However, maintenance of this true E-ticket ride is pitiful. But I'll come to WDW maintenance in some general remarks once I am through with all the parks... Still, as someone who studied economics, I do wonder: how much money did they waste on the Yeti? It's used as a mannequin nowadays, so I dare not to call it AA anymore...

"Finding Nemo -The Musical" is, without a doubt, the best show they have at WDW. The puppetry is magnificent. The songs are good, I think. But too forgetabble. There might be a problem in turning a non-musical movie into a musical and then present it within just 30 minutes. The audience just cannot digest what they just heared.
Still, the show is a must with a wonderful cast.

We didn't spend that much time in Dinoland. We went on "Dinosaur" (can't they just rename it back to "Countdown to Extinction", please?) and walked quickly through the rest. The land lacks meat on its bones. (Feel free to add a stupid fossil-joke here...)

Most beautiful place to have lunch at WDW: Flame Tree Barbecue. Great food, too. And a paradise for bird-lovers, I guess.  :wink:

"it's tough to be a bug" is still a fun show with a great edutainment element. And the queue around the Tree of Life is spectacular.

Finally, we went to see "Festival of the Lion King", which is good. Though the production values are clearly not as high as the ones were for the Paris show.

Operating hours at Animal Kingdom are horrible, though they at least extended them a bit till 18:00. I do understand that the animal exhibits need to be closed earlier. But as there is hardly anthing else to do after that, it becomes painfully clear of how underbuilt this beautiful park still is.
However, if I could just take one theme park home with me from Florida, it would be Animal Kingdom. (Even before Epcot.) It's just such a perfect place to relax - and to experience true Disney Magic.

On most things I have to agree with you, especially on the restaurants. The restaurants at WDW are great, quick service, better variety and it is a lot easier to get a vegeterian dish.

We have been to WDW in 2008 and the MK was our least favorite park. Fantasyland is just one big disappointment compared to DLRP's, although Mickey's Philharmagic is a very enjoyable attraction. We also didn't like Tomorrowland. The theming is not very good in my opinion and the attractions aren't great, but we really enjoyed the Laugh Floor. SM was also a disappointment in terms of theming and ride experience compared to DLRP's version.

Phantom Manor/Haunted Mansion is indeed far better at WDW than in Paris. PM needs desperately a refurbishment.

POTC is also better in Paris, although I liked the addition of Jack Sparrow and wouldn't mind if he will make his way to Paris.

I'm looking forward to the rest of your report!!

You are really fast on updating your report.

And again I have to agree with you. Animal Kingdom is a really great park, although it was not my favorite park at WDW (it was EPCOT).

When you enter the park you feel like you have been transfered somewhere into the African jungle. This park is so well designed and the theming is just great, except Dinoland USA.

Kilimanjaro Safaris and Expedition Everest are some of the best Disney attractions in the world.

We enjoyed the Finding Nemo musical, too, and we also think that it is the best show at WDW and far better than any musical show in Paris.

Have you only eaten in the Flame Tree Barbeque? We haven't tried it, we have only been twice to the Tusker House (Breakfast and Lunch).

I can't wait to see some pictures!!

I agree with your thoughts on DAK entirely. It is certainly tied with Epcot as my fav WDW park and in my top 4 of Disney Parks around the globe.

I think I struggle though with the horrid Chester and Hester Area - before that area was built, they used to have real paleontologists putting a T Rex together - that was awesome, the Lion King (it is recycled parade floats from a Disneyland Parade) and I was MEGA disappointed in Everest (though if operating like designed, it is one of their best pieces). But the fact that the projection is the only effect now working is terrible.

I suspect if you make it out to California, you would adore the San Diego Zoo, which is even better for animal experiences. And Grizzly at DCA is even better than Kali, as well as Aladdin being the best stage show Disney has in the world in it's parks.

But I agree, this park is a work of art, on every level. Just amazing. And you made a good choice with Flame Tree - probably my fav counter service in any park on earth.

Some people claim DAK is a half day park, but we easily spend 2 - 3 days there when we go to WDW. They have some of the best streetmousphere too.

Quote from: "dagobert"On most things I have to agree with you, especially on the restaurants. The restaurants at WDW are great, quick service, better variety and it is a lot easier to get a vegeterian dish.

Interesting to hear about the vegetarian dishes. I was not specifically looking for them on the menus - I am a proud carnivore  :wink: - but got the impression that everything included meat. (All the salads seemed to come with chicken...) But I guess I was wrong on that one.

QuotePhantom Manor/Haunted Mansion is indeed far better at WDW than in Paris. PM needs desperately a refurbishment.

I totally agree.

QuoteWe enjoyed the Finding Nemo musical, too, and we also think that it is the best show at WDW and far better than any musical show in Paris.

"Finding Nemo" would make a fine replacement for "Animagique", I dare to say. But watching the WDW shows all I could think was how awesome the DLP shows used to be... "Tarzan" & "Lion King" (though with its flaws) blew anything out of the water that WDW offers... (including "Nemo", but only slightly.)

QuoteHave you only eaten in the Flame Tree Barbeque? We haven't tried it, we have only been twice to the Tusker House (Breakfast and Lunch).

I also had some great noodles from the Yak & Yeti take-out.

Quote from: "davewasbaloo"I think I struggle though with the horrid Chester and Hester Area - before that area was built, they used to have real paleontologists putting a T Rex together - that was awesome,

Mhm... I think if they just could get ride of those stupid games, that would help the area A LOT. I kinda even like the story-idea behind the area: some wacky dino freaks trying to put up a roadside tourist trap, while the scientists of the Dino Institute work next door. Sadly, the execution just sucks royally.

Quotethe Lion King (it is recycled parade floats from a Disneyland Parade) and I was MEGA disappointed in Everest (though if operating like designed, it is one of their best pieces). But the fact that the projection is the only effect now working is terrible.

The thing that shocked me even more than the non-working Yeti (there could be some real problems behind it...) was that they didn't even seem to bother to fix that silly bird-on-a-stick at the top of the mountain...

QuoteI suspect if you make it out to California, you would adore the San Diego Zoo, which is even better for animal experiences. And Grizzly at DCA is even better than Kali, as well as Aladdin being the best stage show Disney has in the world in it's parks.

Dave, you really don't have to sell me on California.  :wink:
I will go there one day. It is really one of my Top 3 dream vacations.

QuoteSome people claim DAK is a half day park, but we easily spend 2 - 3 days there when we go to WDW. They have some of the best streetmousphere too.

I can see why for a lot of people Animal Kingdom is a half-day-park. If you want to go on rides, this is not the place for you. This park is to relax and to actively seek experiences, I think.
That said, it really becomes painfully obvious that Animal Kingdom is unfortunately still under built once they start closing the animal attractions for the day. (Which, I assume, is sort of necessary...)

Hi again

Agree with all your views on the AK. We always start in this park now (used to be Epcot) as it eases you into Disney mood nicely we feel . Not my fav park , [strike:3bxnnibt]MGM Studios[/strike:3bxnnibt] Hollywood Studios , don't think i'll ever get used to that name change , remains our fav for some reason so looking forward to your report on that 1.

AK is such a beautiful park to wander round and take in the scenery etc and we still come across bits we haven't seen before. This year after loads of visits we did the train to the Conservation area , not sure how we managed to avoid that so many times and it was really interesting.

I personally didn't like the Nemo show. A strange choice for a musical with no music in the film though i can see because of that that's probably why they did it. As someone else said the songs are unfortunatly quite forgetable. I much prefer the Tarzan Rocks and Lion King show.

Our fav (sry i use that term a lot) counter service eatary in the whole of Disney is the Columbia House in the MK but next without doubt is the Flame Tree BBQ. Wonderful food and a seat down by the lake looking over to Everest is just a special memory for us :)

Also not a fan of the Chester area probably because my brother insists on the Dino Swirl ride which we always seem to do right after Flame Tree...big mistake  :lol:

Regarding my earlier comments on the weather in Florida , i do realise it's tooo hot and humid July/August time for most of us Europeans to fully enjoy and i usually visit mid to late September every year where it's still 88-91 most days but bearable. If i could visit for 2 weeks in the winter months instead i would but i can't get 2 weeks of work at that time.

Keep the reports coming , great reading!

Quote from: "Hibernia"I personally didn't like the Nemo show. A strange choice for a musical with no music in the film though i can see because of that that's probably why they did it. As someone else said the songs are unfortunatly quite forgetable. I much prefer the Tarzan Rocks and Lion King show.

While watching "Nemo" we could see that it was an amazing show - but we just didn't feel it.
Does this make any sense?

QuoteRegarding my earlier comments on the weather in Florida , i do realise it's tooo hot and humid July/August time for most of us Europeans to fully enjoy and i usually visit mid to late September every year where it's still 88-91 most days but bearable. If i could visit for 2 weeks in the winter months instead i would but i can't get 2 weeks of work at that time.

An older Floridian once gave me the Only Four Reasons(tm) why to live in Florida:
November
December
January
February
 :wink:

Alright, I hope this works with the public links to my Facebook albums:

My pictures of the Magic Kingdom (//http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=330092&id=786560205&l=6c611d0c7c) and   Animal Kingdom (//http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=330128&id=786560205&l=a0d1dca114).

(//http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs265.snc1/9229_312926805205_786560205_9433522_1153190_n.jpg)

(//http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs245.snc1/9229_313010110205_786560205_9434549_6137628_n.jpg)

Thanks for sharing your comments and photos on WDW so far experiment627, it's really interesting to see them as someone who has only been to DLP. I'm looking forward to seeing the other reports online soon :)

Quote from: "The Butlin Boy"I'm looking forward to seeing the other reports online soon :)

And I will keep them coming.  :)  Thanks for your kind comments!

Looking at Riebi's amazing California trip report, I'll burrow an idea (which I should have done a lot earlier) and give you a rundown of our trip:

1st day (October 10th) - Flight Munich-Charlotte-Orlando with Lufthansa (and the biggest jerk at US immigrations ever)

2nd day - SeaWorld

3rd day - Orlando Premium Outlet Mall & Clearwater Beach

4th day - St. Petersburg (Dalí Museum) & Naples

5th day - Relaxing in Naples

6th day - Everglades

7th day -  Ft. Lauderdale & Vero Beach

8th day - drive to WDW and half-day at the MK

9th day - AK & Epcot

10th day - Relaxing at Animal Kingdom Lodge & Epcot

11th day - Downtown Disney & Studios

12th day - AK & EMH at Epcot

13th day - Studios & Epcot

14th day - flight back home from Orlando to Chicago and then on the Munich... (Lufthansa again)


Is there any interest from you guys about what we did during our Florida road-trip?

I'll just add random thoughts anyway...  :)

Quote from: "experiment627"Is there any interest from you guys about what we did during our Florida road-trip?

I'll just add random thoughts anyway...  :)

WEll I always am. I like to compare notes or find out about new things to go on my bucketlist.

Would also be interested in your thoughts about your accomodations from a professional pov as i'm a Travel Agent. Did you like the Vero Beach Resort? , never stayed there myself as we don't drive , we usually stick with on site Disney and Universal hotels.

Quote from: "Hibernia"Would also be interested in your thoughts about your accomodations from a professional pov as i'm a Travel Agent. Did you like the Vero Beach Resort? , never stayed there myself as we don't drive , we usually stick with on site Disney and Universal hotels.

Okay, I'll get to other part of our vacation then once I'm done covering WDW.

@davewasbaloo: thanks for your offer concerning the California trip planning on Riebi's thread! (I just didn't want to hijack that one for my own travel planning.)
California might be in the cards for 2012 (though I might end up in London for the Olympics, instead) or 2013.
My next big holiday is supposed to get me to Japan. This is not a decision of picking one Disney resort over another or cheaper airfare - I have just never been to Asia and I really want to go.  :)
But I will come back to you when I am getting serious about California!

Ok, next stop:
Disney's Hollywood Studios

We actually hadn't planned to spend too much time at the Studios. They just didn't sound that interesting to us. The major attractions can be found in Paris and we thought the park would lack atmosphere and substance. At one point, we were even discussing skipping this park altogether. But I wanted to give "Toy Story Mania" a chance...

Now imagine my surprise - the Studios turned out to be a whole lot of fun! We even returned for a 2nd (half-) day to finish up some things we didn't get to do that first day!

Now, about the attractions:
"Toy Story Mania" is an incredibly fun - and possibly addictive - ride. While "Buzz" can become
 a bit disappointing for those riders that are not as lucky with their laser guns as others, TSM left us with the feeling that everybody wins. The games are quite cool and the animation is beautiful.
We would have loved doing this ride over and over again. BUT: it has a horrible, HORRIBLE queue. Waiting for TSM (and waiting for the WDW busses ... another story for another time) was the most frustrating thing about our week at WDW. The line is moving at snail's pace. And as it is all indoors in one huge room, the noise level is headache-inducing. And while the Mr Potato Head AA is certainly a great piece of imagineering, after 45 minutes in this queue and listening to him saying and singing the same stuff over and over again, you feel like chopping him up, put some onions, oil, vinegar, pepper and salt (and a hint of mayonnaise) over the bits and pieces and to serve the potato as a nice salad...
We had a mother with two small children before us. And her boy (probably about 6 years old) was just running amok, climbing on the toy-props along the queue. Mom was so charmed by her little boy that she took lots of photos of him... other kids saw that and started acting in a similar way. And most parents just didn't do anything about it.
I will never EVER enter that queue again. And please don't start the old and tired argument of "bad guest behaviour" at DLP...
So, while the ride is A LOT of fun - the whole hour leading up to it was the low point of our WDW stay...
(And before you ask: Fastpasses for TSM run out faster than tickets for a Robbie Williams concert...)

The "Backlot Tour" at WDW might not have as much "content" as the one at WDS, but it sure looks prettier... Also with the great pre-show at the wanter-tank, it feels (at least to me) like a richer experience. Not to mention the final queue through that prop storage. So, I would prefer riding the WDW-version over the WDS one (even without the great "Reign of Fire"-set).

"MuppetVision 3D" is still one of the funniest shows ever - and probably the cleverest in combining 3D- with in-theatre-effects. And surprisingly enough: it has aged quite well...
It is just so hard to catch all of the hilarious pre-show. That requires some real timing!   :)

I went on "Star Tours" for old time's sake, as its days are numbered. I am not a big fan of the Studios-set up for this ride and think it fits much better into Tomorrow- / Discoveryland... The effects seemed to work.
Here, I encountered the most obvious of a very common WDW sight: that of the "fossil-CM". You see, as Florida is the retirement-capitol of the world, you have a lot of old folks there. And as the US-retirement might not be on the same level as the ones in the EU, many old people chose to work to earn a little extra money. And many of them can be found at WDW. We encountered grey haired bus drivers, hearing-impaired vendors, and attraction CMs that might very well remember voting for Roosevelt...
Now, at "Star Tours", our starspeeder's CM was and old, obviously overweight lady - on a cane... Forgive me for sounding rude towards the elderly, but: SERIOUSLY?!? Besides it not feeling quite right, I have to ask: what happens in the case of an emergency? These rides are huge machines. How will a CM like her handle an evacuation, for example?

"The Great Movie Ride" was still awesome. True, some of the AAs look quite fake (Gene Kelly, Julie Andrews, Sigourny Weaver) but others are just amazing (John Wayne, for example). Some scenes feel a bit long (Aliens) and we really struggled understanding a word during the mob-scene. But all in all, it is a wonderful tribute to the movies. And I would love to have an updated version of this ride in Paris.

With Sunset Boulevard leading up to it and the great gardens surrounding it, "Tower of Terror" at WDW has certainly the better set-up than the one in Paris. Walking through the gardens, it feels like you stepped into another world... But I would dare to say: our European "Tower" is more fun. And a bit more detailed inside. Also, the American CMs were not as playful as the ones in Paris. They seemed out of character (something I noticed on other rides as well). I encountered to very cheerful bellhops - and one that was sooo fat that she was just wearing a white shirt and khakis. No costume fitted her, I guess.
I also have to ask: why are some people so obsessed about the fifth dimension room? For me, the whole illusion of being on a spooky elevator stops there and it feels more like I am on a clunky ride with silly ghost house effects... but that might just be me.
Still, the setting of the original "Tower" is just amazing.

Similar things can be said about "Rock'n'Rollercoaster", as well. It might look better from the outside, but the actual ride experience is quite disappointing compared to Paris. However, I love that they still got a real pre-show with the band. And the approach of racing through L.A. to a concert is quite cool - it is the execution that is lacking.
Also, "RnR" at WDW has become a real headbanger and reminiscent of our "Space Mountain"... So I have to wonder how "RnR" is holding up at WDS these days...

Last thing we did was watching "Fantasmic" - we arrived about 70 minutes before showtime and the theatre was half-full, already. As ightenhill has already mentioned in his awesome report, Disney actually came back to its senses and scheduled (almost) daily performances of the show for the week we were there - even though their calendar had sad otherwise. I won't complain.
The show is a delight. The "Pocahontas" scene might seem out of place, but "Fantasmic" is still well worth turning up 70 minutes before.


To wrap it up: Disney's Hollywood Studios was such a pleasant and fun surprise for us! We hadn't expected much after previous experiences at this park. But we just had a good time.
Of course, you cannot visit this park without making comparisons with Paris, and here it is:
While the Walt Disney Studios have the overall better content when it comes to its rides and shows, it is the presentation that make Disney's Hollywood Studios just such a rich, fun and, well, Disney experience. (Now, WDS can still get there... nothing that half a billion Euros shouldn't be able to fix...)
But just walking down Hollywood Boulevard, entering different zones like the (well designed) Pixar Place, the Streets of America or the Backlot make you feel like you are in a Disney park. Something that WDS fails to accomplish once you step out of Studio 1.... So (sadly) I would have preferred a carbon copy of WDW's Studios than what we got in Paris...

In short, while Animal Kingdom and Epcot make WDW for us, it was the Studios which proved to be a great diversion with fun attractions and excellent theming.

Please click here for the Facebook-photo-album... (//http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=330443&id=786560205&l=d567afea5d)

(//http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs057.snc3/14447_313581395205_786560205_9443669_4538127_n.jpg)

(//http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs057.snc3/14447_313581830205_786560205_9443680_213658_n.jpg)

(//http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs077.snc3/14447_313582170205_786560205_9443684_3632741_n.jpg)

(//http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs057.snc3/14447_313583315205_786560205_9443711_7022610_n.jpg)

Again, on most things I have to agree with you.

The Tower of Terror is more fun in Paris, although the setting is nicer at WDW. The same with RnRC, we had the feeling that the ride was not as fast as in Paris. Did you have the same feeling?

Unfortunately Toy Story Mania wasn't already open when we have been to WDW.
We enjoyed Muppet Vision a lot and all the stage shows were enjoyable too, especially Sleeping Beauty.

The theming of DHS is far better compared to WDS (except the big blue hat in front of the Chinese Theatre), but WDS is catching up. I really hope that WDS will get a Hollywood Street or a Sunset Blvd. in the future.
All in all we think that most attractions that can be found in both Studios parks are better in Europe.

The Great Movie Ride is a very nice attraction and I really hope that it will make its way to Paris, although I doubt it.

Fantasmic was great, but it would have been better if the weather wasn't that cold. The park was sold out of blankets so people had to wrap themselves into towels.

I don't want to talk about guest behavior, but I have to say that guest behavior isn't better at WDW than in Paris. Rude people are everywhere.

Quote from: "experiment627"@davewasbaloo: thanks for your offer concerning the California trip planning on Riebi's thread! (I just didn't want to hijack that one for my own travel planning.)
California might be in the cards for 2012 (though I might end up in London for the Olympics, instead) or 2013.
My next big holiday is supposed to get me to Japan. This is not a decision of picking one Disney resort over another or cheaper airfare - I have just never been to Asia and I really want to go.  :)
But I will come back to you when I am getting serious about California!

I hear you. We are currently saving up for Japan as we have not yet been, the quality is supposed to be closer to old school Disney, and the air fare is currently working out cheaper than a trip to the states!

And if you want to talk London, again, let me know.

We seem to see a lot eye to eye. DHS is quite a nice looking park in the main, but WDS has better attractions overall. If we had more theming, a GMR and MuppetVision 3D, I do not know if I would ever feel the need to enter DHS.

And if you want to see an awesome F!, then California is the place to go. After seeing that version, I hate Florida's.

As for the buses, I am bracing myself. That is the one aspect that really put a HUGE dampener on our last trip to WDW. Never again.

It is a big advantage of DLRP that everything is in walking distance and you don't have to rely on buses.

Definately, and that is what I adore about Disneyland too, especially if staying in the Grand Californian. Just like when we go to Tokyo, I want to stay in either the Miracosta or DLH so it is on foot or by monorail only.

IF we ever go to WDW, we will either have a car or stay at the Polynesian.

I completely agree with everything you said about DHS. Being such a huge fan of Paris' RnRC, I was very disappointed the Florida version when I first rode it. It does look better on the outside, but I found the ride itself to be quite dull. It worries me a little that their one is getting rough now. I didn't find our version any rougher last September, but I have a feeling it will within a few years.

Interesting to hear your thoughts on TSM. It wasn't built when I went, but going by pics and videos I can't say it appeals to me very much. Is it really that fun? :lol:

Quote from: "experiment627"[
Is there any interest from you guys about what we did during our Florida road-trip?

YES YES YES  :mrgreen:

Quote from: "dagobert"The theming of DHS is far better compared to WDS (except the big blue hat in front of the Chinese Theatre), but WDS is catching up. I really hope that WDS will get a Hollywood Street or a Sunset Blvd. in the future.

I wouldn't mind that Sorcerer's Hat that much as a park icon - if it wouldn't block the wonderful Chinese Theatre...

Quote from: "davewasbaloo"We seem to see a lot eye to eye. DHS is quite a nice looking park in the main, but WDS has better attractions overall. If we had more theming, a GMR and MuppetVision 3D, I do not know if I would ever feel the need to enter DHS.

But will we ever get to the point where the WDS will be as themed as DHS? With various pathways and clearly different areas? At this pace, I have my doubts...

QuoteIF we ever go to WDW, we will either have a car or stay at the Polynesian.

I'd pick one of the Epcot Resorts, myself... (Also cheaper than the overpriced MK-hotels...)

Quote from: "RnRCj"Interesting to hear your thoughts on TSM. It wasn't built when I went, but going by pics and videos I can't say it appeals to me very much. Is it really that fun?

Surprisingly, it is.
Yes, it is basically a video game on a ride vehicle. But it is just so beautifully frantic that it turns out to be a lot of fun. With the different "levels" and the different "targets" or little things (like wind blowing into your face) etc. it's a cool experience... And I did not expect that. I would not mind getting this as a Toy Story Playland expansion.

It's a very solid C-ticket, I would say. Maybe a D.

Mhm... I think this report is less of a report and more of just rambling along... I hope you guys don't mind.  :wink:

Now, where were we?
Ah, yes:

Epcot

What a unique place this is.. It seems less frantic than other theme parks. In fact, it doesn't really feel like a theme park. That also means it doesn't transport you into another world as much. But then again, that's not the idea behind Epcot, I guess. It's supposed to show you how amazing our world is. And it does a very fine job at that, I might say.

You can see a lot of what is now to be found at Science Centers all over the world first introduced here at Epcot. Which, as a consequence, makes some parts of Epcot less special, fresh and amazing as they once were. (Best example: The Seas pavilion - its huge water tank is just not that amazing anymore when there are wonderful aquariums all around and with Sea Life Centres being a common attraction nowadays.)

But I'd better stick to my "attraction by attraction" approach... for now.

I simply loved the new "Spaceship Earth". Its storyline comes over as quite crisp and easy to follow. One can argue about the new narration (I quite liked it), but the best bit is: you can chose your language! Via touch-screen you can chose if you want to experience the ride either in English, German, Spanish, French or Portuguese. Quite cool (and a great idea for future DLP-rides...).
The little gimmick with Disney taking your picture and then putting it on a character in a future-scenario that you design is also pretty entertaining. Thumbs up!!
The Siemens-post-show area also is quite impressive with some cool interactive games. (Which were always busy - except for the reaction time-training.) Overall, very well done!

We passed the new "Sum of all Thrills". Looked like a lovechild of Cyber Space Mountain and the Kuka-robo-coaster they are having at Legoland in Bavaria.  So nothing special. I wasn't tempted on trying it out.

I am not quite sure what to think of "The Seas with Nemo and Friends". The "Nemo"-dark ride bit looks good, no doubt about it. And I see how the addition of these characters add to the appeal of the "Seas" (especially, as I already mentioned, when aquariums aren't that much of a deal nowadays). To me, the animals at the Seas, now appear like a bit of an afterthought. There's no storyline of where we are going and why we are under the sea...

"Soarin'" amazes me. And everyone around me, too, it  seems. Which is odd, as it is probably the least themed ride in all of WDW. And yet it achieves great emotional hights. A work of beauty, truly.
Since my last visit (2006), they have added new interactive games to the ride's queue to keep people entertained. And it works terrificly. People waiting are split into groups that have to compete against each other. We played a kind of "Bubble"-game and had to steer an eagle through canyons. The graphics might not be much (a bit like Wii), but how the motion capturing works is amazing. (To steer the eagle, for example, you lean left or right. To burst a bubble, you try to touch it with your hand...) It was fun. And it helped to pass the time.

We had lunch at the "Seasons Food Fair" next to "Soarin", which offers wonderful, fresh dishes. One of my favourite foodcourts at WDW - and I'd wish we had something similar at DLP... I enjoyed a great Asian noodle dish (again) and a very tasty key lime pie. My parents' sandwiches were als really good (and huge! but that seems to be the norm in the US...)

"Living with the Land" (the boat-ride) is pretty good, too. The green houses are quite an attraction, I have to say. A good way to spend some time while waiting for your Fastpass on "Soarin".  :wink:

The "Imaginations" pavilion needs a new "Wow". While "Journy Into Imagination" is not the worst ride, you wouldn't miss much if you skipped it.
And speaking of skipping rides: we didn't go to see "HISTA"... Why should  we?

"Mission: Space" is ok - and by far not as intense as people claim it to be. It lacks substance, however. It never manages to show you how cool space exploration is. "Mission: Space" is not a pavilion like the attractions on the other side of Epcot's Future World, but - unfortunately - just a ride. And, while  fun, not among Disney's best.

Same could  be said, I think, about "Test Track". It *is* fun. But I got the feeling it's more of a "test track" for Disney's ride technology (which will be used for the "Cars"-attraction at DCA, I believe)... The speed-part at the end might be fun, but I could do without zipping over Epcot's CM-parking lot...
That said, the Single Rider Line worked magnificently. While standbye was about 40 minutes, we got on immediately (missing out on the pre-show movie... but that's not a big loss, I think).

I hope I am not coming off as too critical. I love Epcot. And I love Future World. It is just very obvious how hard it is to keep this part of the park "up-to-date". It lacks the timelessness of other Disney parks...

We stopped by the Coca Cola showroom and enjoyed some free sodas. Loved the ginger ale from Mozambique and the sodas from Japan and Israel...

Epcot (continued)

Moving on to World Showcase:
The new Canada-movie with Martin Short is fun. And Canada is still a beautiful place. They should add a travel agency to World Showcase, I think. It would do great business!  :wink:
One thing that is a bit annoying is that pretty much in all of the World Showcase-movies (except for France...) they claim that each country's biggest attraction are its people. This might be very true, but the message gets a bit old after a while.  :wink:

Passed through the United Kingdom - nothing to see here folks, so keep on moving!  :wink: - and on to France. Probably my favourite pavilion. As it reminds me so much of Paris (and the wonderful times I had in this magnificent city...) with all its details.
We enjoyed a wonderful dinner at "Chefs de France". I had duck (like I do in France, too) and Creme Brulée - though the dessert was pre-made (the sugar was cold). It was a good evening. And we had great service. By the way, is it customary in the US that the waiter shakes your hand when saying goodbye? Either that or we might have overtipped the guy.  :wink:
(Have I mentioned already how much I hate tipping the US?? It tears you apart between your lack of mathematical skills and a bad conscience of not tipping enough...)

Of all the movie-attractions around World Showcase, I think I enjoy the French one the most. It is beautiful. And hasn't aged that badly. Still, I think it's rather funny that the CMs working at the pavilion are probably all younger than the film is.

The "Food & Wine Festival" was going on while we were at WDW. For me, it doesn't hold that much appeal, I have to say. It might be different for locals. But as a tourist, I don't see it as that much of an attraction. For my taste, the selection at the kiosks seemed a bit limited. And / or overpriced. I opted to have a proper meal at one of the pavilions instead. And as we didn't attend any of the seminars, I guess we must have missed out on something.
This year, the food stands were dedicated to single cities instead of countries. Which I think is a cool idea. If they would actually do it right! I passed the "Munich"-kiosk. Living in Munich, of course I wanted to know what they offered (and how much they charge for it.  :wink: ) Out of the different items on their menu, I'd say maybe one was a genuine speciality from Munich. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that "bratwurst nuremberg-style" is not from Munich. The spätzle-gratin (something I adore and am quite at making myself, if I may say so) is of course served in many restaurants in Munich, but is more a Swabian (Stuttgart-Augsburg area) than Bavarian... So, I do have my doubts about the whole Food & Wine concept...

Bought a Super Mario t-shirt in Japan from the cutest Japanese CM ever and iced Green Tea, which didn't work out as well as hoped...

We went to see "The American Adventure", which is an impressive show with some wonderful AAs. (I love the fact that Mark Twain is smoking... on stage  8) ) Not being American one watches the show with a more critical eye, I guess. Of course, there were was some patriotism in the show that was hard to swallow. But also, every once in a while, a critical comment.
No matter if you agree with the content of the show (and its historic accuracy), "The American Adventure" is a unique and quite impressive Disney attraction.

Italy, unfortunately, doesn't offer that much to do or see - not even a gallery of Italy's amazing art or history...

Same could be said of Germany, I guess. But it's fun looking at the clichés of one's own country. (Which, after having lived in Munich for nearly two years, are not that as far away from the truth as one would believe in other parts of Germany...  :wink: )
I still don't understand why Americans believe we Germans would put pickles on our Christmas trees. And a good deal of the sweets on sale were actually from Switzerland and Austria. But who cares?  :wink:
Just ONE thing I really have to critisize: why oh why do they have to sell Löwenbräu-beer?!?!? That's probably the worst beer coming out of Munich... (But rather drinkable as a panache - or "Radler" in German.) Strangely enough, the Food & Wine's beer stand was offering Hacker-Pschorr beer. (Which is considerably better...)

China - amazing 360°-movie, wonderful architecture. Cool shop. Enough said.

Norway has a weird boat ride with the most dated movie at the end ever. Instead of showing Norway's amazing landscape, we got to see a lot of 1980's Norwegians. Made me wish to go to Sweden instead...

Now, to wrap this up (man, Epcot is taking forever to sum up...  :wink: ): Mexico!
We had another enjoyable dinner here. The atmosphere of the San Angel Inn between the indoor-marketplace and the boat ride is nice. But the lighting is almost too dark to read the menu... And it might be hard for the waiters to read something, too, as they mixed up our order quite a bit. But it was sorted out within 5 minutes. The food was good, yet not outstanding. The evening made me long for  going back to Blue Lagoon one of these days...
Now, the big surprise for me at Epcot: the "Gran Fiesta Tour starring the Three Caballeros". It's a character-overlay of the old Mexican boat-ride. True. But it is so well done! It is just a riot following Donald Duck (animated in the style of the 1940's movie!!!), José Carrioca and Panchito through Mexico. Instead of the once boring "River of Time", we now have a fun look at this Latin American country.
Went on it three times and bought the t-shirt.
That's how much I loved the updated ride.

Did I forget to mention anything?
Oh yes, "Imaginations: Reflections of Earth" - still the best nighttime-show on property. And probably my favourite Disney show ever. We watched it twice, once from Japan and once from Norway. I would recommend the Norway-spot.
It's not so much the fireworks (fireworks, actually, bore me just a bit), it's the whole package that make "Imaginations" so moving: the music, the pictures on the globe, the fire- and fountain-effects and the beautifully naive message of one global community.

Phew... that took quite some time to write.

What's left to say: Epcot is one of my favourite places in the world. Even if I was quite critical in what I just wrote down.
Its Epcot's message of how amazing this world is that appeals to me. Can't wait to visit again...

Pictures can be found at: //http://http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=332092&l=2d6f8a70c5&id=786560205

Great trip report. I adore Epcot, it really does renew my faith and optimism in humanity. The original Tomorrowland in California used to do this too, before Disney lost their way.

I agree with a lot of your assessment except for the toons, I don't like them invading Epcot one bit. But everything else is great (and yes, Illuminations is tied as my fav Disney show, the other having been Remember Dreams Come True at Disneyland, but the music of Illuminations cannot be beat!).

Did you see any of the live performers in World Showcase?

Sadly I cannot seem to open the photos. Did you set it up for open access?

Quote from: "davewasbaloo"Great trip report. I adore Epcot, it really does renew my faith and optimism in humanity. The original Tomorrowland in California used to do this too, before Disney lost their way

I would dare to say that Epcot was the death sentence for Tomorrowland. (Especially at WDW.)

QuoteI agree with a lot of your assessment except for the toons, I don't like them invading Epcot one bit.

You know, I thought I would mind that - but I just didn't. The Three Caballeros are a great fit to the Mexican pavilion and finally make that ride fun.
I think it's a question of how to apply Disney characters and franchises to the parks. I didn't work out well with Monsters, Stitch or even Buzz in Tomorrowland. But it feels like the Caballeros belong to this ride and pavilion. (Maybe because the original movie was already an "add" for Mexico to begin with...)
I don't feel the same way about Nemo at the Seas - but this might be more of an application of the characters to the pavilion.

QuoteDid you see any of the live performers in World Showcase?

Off Kilter (the Canadian music group) seemed to play every time we passed the stage. We saw glimpses of the comedy acts in UK and France and the acrobats in China.
I didn't really make a point of watching any of the shows. They are nice "add-ons", but for me, not the main attraction of World Showcase. (It feels a bit like the street perfomers you get to see while doing a shopping trip on a Saturday...)
The only one I really wanted to see again - and missed due to scheduling - was the candy artist in Japan...

QuoteSadly I cannot seem to open the photos. Did you set it up for open access?

I changed the link - hope you can access the pictures now: //http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=332092&l=2d6f8a70c5&id=786560205

Epcot is our favorite park at WDW, too.

The park has great attractions and World Showcase is really amazing. You could easily spend a whole day in the World Showcase part of Epcot.

Soarin' is one of my favorite Disney attractions. I hope that Disney will build this attraction at DLRP, too. Although you always experience the same movie, it never gets boring. I just loved the ride.

Spaceship Earth was also great, although not everything was working, it was just a soft opening.

I have to agree with you that Test Track and Mission Space aren't pavillons, like the others in Future World. Nevertheless I enjoyed both attractions a lot. Unfortunately my girlfriend didn't want to ride Mission Space again. It was too intense for her. Besides Soarin' Test Track was our favorite attraction in Epcot.

Why do Americans think that Germans put pickles on their Christmas trees. Although I'm from Austria, people asked us all the time about the pickles. I've never heared of this tradition before I spent half a year in the US. Very funny.

You are right, the "Löwenbräu" is not the best Bavarian beer, but still better than all the other beers you can buy in the US. I was very happy to get a "real" beer.

We also spent a lot of time in all the different shops and I had to buy a t-shirt ("Wir sind Cordoba") from Adidas in the Germany Pavilion.

The rides in World Showcase aren't the best, but still very enjoyable. Our favorites were El Rio del Tiempo, Maelstrom and the movie in the France Pavilion. Unfortunately the attractions at Canada, China and American Adventure were closed.

We didn't get a table at the San Angel Inn, so we tried the Bella Italia Restaurant. It wasn't bad, but I wouldn't eat there anymore.
What I also liked in Epcot is, that you can order alcohol. I'm not an alcoholic, but in a sitdown restaurant I really enjoy a glass of beer or wine to my meal. I'm not a big fan of softdrinks.

Now I want to say that your pictures are great. Thanks for sharing them with us!!!!

Lol, it goes to show people get differrent things out of their Disney experiences. For us, last time we went into Epcot on at least 8 occassions on the last trip and spent nearly 4 full days there. To me, Illuminations, the dining and streetmousphere are the reasons why I really love the place.

Sadly, I feel Futureworld has lost a lot of what made it so great when it first opened, the Edutainment. But I do love Soarin'.

Hi again
Great reading , it sounds like you had a faboulous time there.

On the Studios i'm glad you enjoyed it so much. Everyone i speak to says their surprised how much fun it is.
Toy Story was one of our holiday highlights this year with the major bu bear the same as yours , the Queue. We went in September which is not usually bad for queues but this 1 was always 45-hour but the end justified the wait for us 3 times in total :)
I've never seen a Fast Pass machine actually run out of time slots before , didn't jnow it even could!

When you did the Star Tours did you see any of the Jedi Training Schools? Something new their doing where a Jedi Master takes on about 15 "younglings" from the audience and trains them to fight against the Dark Side. Darth appears and they have to take him on 1 on 1. It's very entertaining and if you have a kid along a great experince for them.

On Epcot , i again agree with all you say. I like the Nemo bit in the Living Seas bit really miss the old moive and Aquavator ride down to the sea lab.

I'm impressed with the new Spaceship Earth and like you love the ending with the personal Touch.

Soarin we like but only if you get the top tier to sit in , far more imersive. Is it just me or could they have done the film show a little better by adding in "fades" between the zones , maybe just a cloud fade or something like that? Cutting from Desert to Sea to Mountains just didn't seem right to me.

Imagination , they should either go back to the old figment ride or shut it down. I can't even see kids impressed with what they offer just now. Was a real fan of the old ride :)

We didn't do the Mission Space this time as we were all quite ill a couple years ago. I believe they now offer a less violent ride along with the more intense  one? Did you go Green or Red (i think their coded) when you did it?

Great report and nice photos , ty for taking the time to do this.

Quote from: "Hibernia"When you did the Star Tours did you see any of the Jedi Training Schools? Something new their doing where a Jedi Master takes on about 15 "younglings" from the audience and trains them to fight against the Dark Side. Darth appears and they have to take him on 1 on 1. It's very entertaining and if you have a kid along a great experince for them.

Walked by the Jedi Training Academy a few times. Seems like a cute show, but I didn't bother stopping. I don't know why, but shows with audience participation always give me the shivers. Even though I was already a huge geek as a kid, I probably would have gotten a panic attack being there on that stage... (And now I'm doing presentations for a living - and am quite good at it... Yes, I am weird.  :wink: )

QuoteSoarin we like but only if you get the top tier to sit in , far more imersive. Is it just me or could they have done the film show a little better by adding in "fades" between the zones , maybe just a cloud fade or something like that? Cutting from Desert to Sea to Mountains just didn't seem right to me.

Mhm... maybe the effect of changing scenes wouldn't be as big if you knew that a cut was coming? Don't know. But I don't really mind the "hard cuts", either.

 

QuoteImagination , they should either go back to the old figment ride or shut it down. I can't even see kids impressed with what they offer just now. Was a real fan of the old ride :)

Never got a chance to go on the old one. I don't know why this ride comes off so flat. It's got some cool "ingredients" like the Figment AAs and Eric Idle... but yeah, I wouldn't bother doing that again.

 

QuoteWe didn't do the Mission Space this time as we were all quite ill a couple years ago. I believe they now offer a less violent ride along with the more intense  one? Did you go Green or Red (i think their coded) when you did it?

I went on the intense (orange) version. But didn't find it that intense or thrilling. For me, Rock'n'Rollercoaster's launch is much more intense.
The ride is ok, but it just lacks... something. Atmosphere. A proper pavilion. Something that tells me that this is the most awesome adventure I've ever been on...

Now, let's take about my new favourite Disney hotel:

(//http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs057.snc3/14447_315583310205_786560205_9468342_1537108_n.jpg)

Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge

Oh, what an amazing place! The African design and art, the gardens, the animals, the cast members, the food!

First, I'll just mention one or two things that weren't working out too well at the Lodge...
Transportation was an issue. (But that is the general rule at Disney World...) The hotel is at the farthest end of WDW and it takes a good half an hour to get to the Magic Kingdom or to Downtown Disney, for example.
Also, it is really unfortunate that you can hear the nearby Interstate so clearly. The hotel looks so beautifully remote - but you just can hear the stupid traffic. Bummer.

But these are just minor points. Because overall we just loved our stay. From the moment you arrive and step into the awesome lobby. Check-In was incredibly swift. And then we marched over to our room, which was on the Giraffe trail and seemed to be miles away from the frontdesk...
Our room had a savannah view and was quite nice. Not as spacious as some other rooms we had enjoyed on our vacation, but good. Closet space was a bit limited, I would say... (But then again, I guess most American tourists don't go on a shopping spree through Florida's outlet malls before going to WDW.  :wink: )
We enjoyed the view of the animals from our room, though they arrived rather late-ish in the morning. (Around 9 o'clock.) We saw a few giraffes, gazelles, antelopes and lots of little Thommies. (= Thompson Gazelles... They're so beautifully small, I think I could keep a whole herd in my 2-room-flat.  :D ) Strangely enough, we hardly saw any zebras, not even on the main savannah. (The lodge has got several savannah's instead of just one big one... I guess that makes sense...)

But animal viewing at the Animal Kingdom Lodge is fantastic. And there are lots of Cast Members available to explain about the habits of the animals. (And many of these CMs are from Africa, similar to the Epcot CMs being from their respective country.) On the savannah next to the pool, you can also view animals during the nighttime with night-vision goggles. Quite cool. But me being me, I didn't see any animals.

I was amazed at how much the Lodge had to offer in regards to animation and entertainment. There seemed to be something going on all the time: animal viewings, storytelling for the kids etc. A far cry from the hotels in Paris that seem more like "bed bunkers" for the theme parks instead of resort hotels like at WDW...

Even though the week was a bit chillier than the week before I managed to spend some time at the pool, which is quite nice - though there are better pools at WDW.
Weird thing: it seemed like the pool was a bit overstaffed lifeguard-wise - and this at odd hours. Between 10:00 and 20:00 (when usually most guests are at the parks) there were four life guards on duty. And then none.
Weird.

Food at the Lodge was also really good. The counter service place - "The Mara" - was a bit poor on décor, but really good on food. (Loved their African stew, served in a bread-bowl...)
"Boma" had an amazing breakfast buffet, which we went to twice - just because it was that good. And at $17 decently priced. (And the great Euro-exchange rate really helps, too.  :D )
I wasn't too impressed with their dinner-buffet, though. It was good. But when it came to variety just not as good as the breakfast. The food was also rather bland, I thought. But the couscous was great. And the desserts devine...
We didn't get to check out "Jiko's" unfortunately (did that in 2006 and loved it).

Did I forget anything?
Mhm... to sum it up: Animal Kingdom Lodge offers great theming, good service and a wonderful, unique experience with being so close to the animals.
It is definitely a Disney experience in the old classic style. I loved it.
And would go there again in an instant.

Photos: //http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=331260&id=786560205&l=dea84d8204

Yep, I hear you on AKL. We stayed there a few years ago, and we loved the architecture, the animals, the cast and the restaurants, as well as the pool. I hated the bus situation though. Not only does it take forever to get to the other parks, but the buses are few and far between. It got to the point where it nearly ruined the trip.

If we stay at the lodge again (which we would like to, it is great), we will rent a car.

And yep, Boma for breakfast is great. And the Mara is a fab counter service option.

To sum up the Disney-part of our Florida-vacation:

We had an awesome time. Even if I tend to make a lot of critical comments, this was one of my favourite Disney visits ever. It was also a much needed one, which got me thinking into new directions after having had to deal with some less than stellar news right before getting to WDW.
Disney managed again to take me out of reality. I relaxed and I got to breath. I loved our hotel, I loved Animal Kingdom and Epcot, was pleasantly surprised with the Hollywood Studios and got to meet some great friends again...


Now some general thoughts on:

Transportation
The big, fat sour spot of our time at WDW. It is quite startling how inefficient WDW's transportation system is.
It still kind of works when you only want to get from your hotel to a theme park. (Though we had to wait a good 20 minutes for a Studios bus... why can't the bus run on timetables??) But trying to get to another resort hotel or - heaven forbid! - from Downtown Disney to a theme park takes a lot of time (more than an hour, to be exact) - and nerves! I also takes forever to load these busses... After a week at WDW, I was looking forward to some good old European "stampeding"!

In all honesty, I cannot recommend anyone to not take a rental car during a WDW vacation.

Food
To make it short: It was great. We didn't have a bad meal during our entire stay. (Though we didn't have an outstanding one, either.) Counter service food at WDW is much more varied and generally of a  better quality than at DLP - and it is acutally *fast* food. There's no waiting for an hour for a shabby burger like in purgatory... uhm... I mean Café Hyperion.  :wink:
Best counter service places: Flame Tree Barbecue (AK) and Seasons (Epcot).
And, thanks to that wonderful Euro-exchange rate, the prices were not too bad, either...

Cast Members
They were all... nice.
I mean, I cannot really say we encountered bad service. But it all seemed so... bland. They weren't really in character, either. I missed a bit the CMs' playfullness that you can encounter in Paris at rides like Pirates, Phantom Manor or ToT. At WDW, I found they were "just" friendly. But not much more.
The best CMs we met were actually in Epcot... That lovely vendor at the Japanese department store and our waiter in ... France.
There was also something odd about seeing so many very old people working for Disney. And obesity is a problem, too: at ToT, I saw a girl working in khakis and a white shirt. I suppose there was no bellhop costume big enough for her...
Then there's another big "bad show element" with all the location managers at WDW (and there are A LOT of them) wearing regular street cloths. So you see ladies in their GAP blouses standing behind the tills at the Emporium or a guy wearing a pink shirt standing next to the engineer on Animal Kingdom's steam trains. At times it felt like there were more CMs wearing street cloths than costumes...

Maintenance
I have to say, the parks and resorts looked spotless. At least to me as a casual visitor. I didn't notice any paint issues. Or any trash lying around.
But then there were certain maintenance issues, especially the show effects. Like the steam boat on Splash Mountain that was not rocking. Or the Yeti at DAK that was not moving. Or when during "it's tough to be a bug" the amazing Hopper-AA just didn't show up...
Gardening also seemed rather "dull" - especially compared to our visit at SeaWorld which as a beautiful tropical gardens...
But, all in all, everything looked great.

I went to Disney World and got something for free!
Yes, indeed. It happened that it was my birthday on one of the days that we were at WDW. So I could benefit from this year's "Celebration theme". It didn't make much sense getting the free park admission ticket as we had multi-day-tickets anyhow. It wasn't that busy either so the VIP-Fastpass also was not that appealing. BUT: you can also get a gift card for the same value of a one day / one park ticket. Which comes to more than 72 dollars.
So, I went shopping with that. Thanks Disney!  :D

Favourite Moments
- having dinner at "Chefs de France" and chatting to the young waiter in French
- visiting at Epcot for evening EMH
- watching animals from our hotel room
- seeing old friends again
- having a blast on Toy Story Mania (after the "Queue of Terror")
- having people ask me about the Super Mario t-shirt that I bought at Japan
- breakfast at Boma
- viewing Illuminations on our last night: we stood there for about an hour. Then there was a family coming up with two small boys. We let them slip in front of us. And they politely said thank you. Loved it.  :)


...and that concludes what I have to say about our week at WDW.  :)

Thanks a lot for your great trip report. I really enjoyed reading every part of it. Thanks for sharing your WDW experiences with us.

Are you going to post a report about your other vacation destinations in the US?

Thanks for sharing your story :)

Sorry that I haven't picked up the rest (or better yet: the "beginning" of my trip report) any sooner.
Real life is keeping me a bit occupied...

Now that the Disney-part is done (which we did in the 2nd week of our two-weeks-vacation), I'll give you a run-down of what we did and where we've been before getting to the Mouse's mega-suburbia that is Walt Disney World...


DAY 1 - Getting there...

We got a good deal going from Munich to Orlando via Charlotte, South Carolina, with Lufthansa. (I would highly recommend checking-in online 24 hours in advance... seats were filling up fast!)
The thing that really bugs me about flying is not the flying itself, but the time you need to get to the airport, to check in and drop of your luggage (HUGE lines in the morning), going through the security, having your passport checked and - because the US are as paranoid as one can get - going through a second security check...

The flight was alright. We had really good service, the food not too bad, I watched "ICE AGE 3" (which was dull at its best moments... but I also thought the other two Ice Age movies were way overrated...) and episodes of "30 Rock" and "How I Met Your Mother"... (which I love) and managed to read Patrick Süskind's "The Perfume" ... Not bad for a 10 hour flight.

Our flight was about an hour late when we got to Charlotte. Which shouldn't have been much of a problem as we still had about two hours to catch our connecting flight to Orlando, right?
Well, enter "The Department of Homeland Security" and the US immigration officers. We got out of the plane and were immediately yelled at by some bloke TO STAND AGAINST THE WALL before we had to move on to a a large room that reminded us a bit of how cattle is being welcomed at a slaughter house...
The line barely moved. The only nice person in the room was an elderly Lufthansa-employee who made sure that we had all filled out our green form (that they hand you on the flight) correctly. After about an hour and a half (and 30 minutes before our connecting flight to Orlando, I might add...), we finally managed to get to one of the officers...

...a guy, I could describe with various profanities, but then this post might get blocked by one of the admins. This guy made Grumpy look like Snow White. On drugs. On Christmas Eve. Getting lucky.
It was really the worst treatment - and I'm not even speaking about the fact that it feels like you are a criminal when you get into the US. I almost lost my temper with this guy. Which would have been bad. VERY BAD. I already saw myself sitting for hours in one of the small rooms they've got... Thing was, we had printed out our ESTA-forms. But of course, the forms only have a number on them and not the name of the person. (My guess would be because of personal data issues.) We were three. He was not happy with that. He was yelling at me how he should know which form applied to which of us.
I guess they like yelling at US immigrations. Most be the artificial light, I guess.
Finally, we left our fingerprints and he took a picture of each of us and we were "welcomed" to the United States...
My dad later remarked that it used to be easier to get into Eastern Germany in the 70s and 80s than to get into the US...

We had about 20 minutes left to catch our USAirways flight to Orlando. We were understandably stressed. Luckily we didn't have any trouble with customs and neither at the security gate that we had to pass. (And these people were NICE again... Unbelievable... it was like a whole different world.) It was easy to get around the Charlotte airport, so we actually managed to get on our flight in time.

The rest went very smoothly: the flight to Orlando. Arriving at MCO with its kinda cool tropical 70s look - and its free WiFi. Getting our luggage and getting our rental car.
Of course, coming from Germany and having been in air conditioned areas for almost 20 hours, the heat and humidity of Florida hits you like a wall when you get out of the airport...

As we didn't have a navigation system in our car (...) it took us some time to find our hotel, the Residence Inn by Marriott near SeaWorld.

We got there about 21:30, check-in was swift and we had finally arrived...

To be continued...

Enjoying the rest of the trip report. That Residence Inn used to be quite nice, what is it like these days?

And yep, immigration in the US and the UK is always a nightmare for me. I'm American and my wife and kids are Brits. So they treat us with suspicion both sides, even though I have lived in the UK longer than some of the UK immigration officers have been alive.

We had the same experiences like you when we entered the US in Chicago. We were also treated like criminals. The homeland security guy was very unpolite and asked silly questions about our student visa, about the relationship between my girlfriend and me.

I didn't expect a nice treatment at the border, because the people in the US Embassy in Vienna were also very unfriendly.

Quote from: "davewasbaloo"Enjoying the rest of the trip report. That Residence Inn used to be quite nice, what is it like these days?

The Residence Inn was alright, but nothing overly special. The rooms were good. (In fact, it's two rooms + a small kitchen.) I would recommend the hotel to families.
The negatives were the rather loud air condition and the breakfast (which was included in the hotel's rate). The selection was limited and I am just not a fan of having to eat from plastic plates at a hotel...

The hotel is being advertised as being in walking distance to SeaWorld - which is true. But that doesn't mean that you are supposed to walk: there are no signs directing pedestrians to the park. Also, I wouldn't let my grandmother cross a road in Orlando: you almost have to run before the red light switches again.
Then when you get to SeaWorld, there's a huge sign directing cars one way and pedestrians another. Problem is: there is no walkway. You have to walk along the road and then cross the entire SeaWorld parking lot.

To be fair to the hotel, though, they do offer a free shuttle service.

DAY 2 - SeaWorld

We really enjoyed our day at this park, though it was crystal clear that it is not on the same level of any Disney park (yes, I include WDS in this statement). It's just an "amusement park", but a really good one. I had visited the park for the first time three years ago. And I am not sure I'd make a point of returning any time soon...

That said: we had a really good time.

The big novelty, of course, was "Manta", SeaWorld's new roller coaster. The special thing about it is that you are actually lying in the coaster, face down towards the ground (well, at least most of the time...  :wink: ) I am not much of a thrill ride fanatic and this was the first coaster of this kind for me. It was amazing.

There's a real sensation of flying and as you cannot see where the coaster train is going, you feel wonderfully disorientated. The most thrilling moments were when you pass the ground just half a metre below you.
"Manta" fits into SeaWorld perfectly and the queue with its fish tanks is beautiful. Unfortunately, the ride experience ends in a rather backstage-looking area. Which takes you out of the entire experience. So it is not a full winner for me, but a very, very close one... And probably still the best coaster I have ever ridden...

We pet some real manta rays afterwards and then watched the dolphin feeding before heading over to "Blue Horizon", SeaWorld's dolphin show. The show was beautiful with great animal performances (including parrots...), great artists and fitting music. It bordered being kitsch, but just so perfectly that I had tears in my eyes.
Though I am not sure that it was the show that caused this: the day was steaming hot and I had probably put too much sunscreen on my forehead... which was now running down right into my eyes...

We visited some of the other animal exhibits like the beautiful manatee habitat, the penguins, the shark tunnel and the beautifully themed polar habitat. What I missed, though, were some big fish tanks, like for example at SeaLife centres or at Epcot.

The best tanks, I would say, are actually in the gift shop at the "Journey to Atlantis" water ride, where you have got tanks below your feet and above your head.
"Journey", by the way, was fun - but with a weird storyline, which I couldn't really follow. The bored looking Sea World employee right before the big drop was also kind of a let down.
But it was a good ride - and in very good condition, I must say.

We skipped "Kraken", SeaWorld's other roller coaster.

The show with the seals ("Clyde and Seymoure Take Pirate Island") was a bit too silly for my taste, with plenty of American Idol and Facebook-jokes. The animal performers however were, once again, amazing.

We enjoyed a good counter service lunch at one of the places along the park's "Waterfront", a Mediterranean-style village. They've got a cool jewel-store there, where you can actually watch divers getting oysters. Kids can then assist in opening them to get to the pearl inside.

One other thing that amazed me at SeaWorld were its gardens: the whole park is very lush and tropical - with orchids growing on trees! (Which I had never seen before outside of a green house.) The gardens here are a step or two (or three...) of what WDW is doing...

SeaWorld's biggest stars are definitely the orcas, or "killer whales" as the park still calls them for some reason.
Again, great performance by the animals. But the storyline of a boy chasing his dream of becoming a trainer at SeaWorld was a bit much too take... And don't get me started on that "tribute to our heroes" right before the show where they showed this promotional video for the US armed forces. I am not a big fan of that.
We chose to stay seated while about 5,000 Americans stood up...

But it is amazing to watch these whales in action. Which brings us to the highlight of the day: we had booked tickets for "Dine with Shamu" in advance. ("Shamu" being the stage name for SeaWorld's largest orca whale.)

Behind the whale stadium, there's a smaller pool along which you can enjoy a buffet and first watch the show via a huge screen. After the show (and while you are having dessert), the trainers come out and introduce you to the star: Shamu, who is now swimming along the tables. The trainers explain how they work with the whales and let Shamu do some of his tricks.
And then suddenly this huge whale is right next to you, mouth wide open with his pearly white teeth. (Has anybody else read the sci-fi thriller "The Swarm" / "Der Schwarm", by the way...?  :wink: )
It was a very cool experience which brought you as close to this magnificent animal as you probably ever wanted to get. The food was good and plenty (though the setup is not the best for a buffet with long queues...) - and at 25 dollars quite affordable.


So, if you are in Orlando and want to get to a one-of-a-kind dining experience, this is something I really can recommend.

The day had been long and we were suffering from jetlag. But it was fun with some great experiences. I wouldn't say SeaWorld is a "must do" in Florida - or even Orlando. But it is a day well spent, that's for sure...

We walked back to the hotel and immediately crashed on our beds - and I fell quickly asleep, watching "Desperate Housewives"... What a vacation....

DAY 3 - Shopping & Clearwater Beach

After a good night's sleep we packed our stuff and left the Residence Inn.

First stop of the day: Shopping!
We were headed to Orlando's Premium Outlet Mall to benefit from the excellent exchange rate.  8)

We were a bit early (still adapting to East Coast time) so we first stopped at Publix, a decent American supermarket, to get some snacks and drinks for the next few days.

We then parked at the outlet mall's parking deck (a big plus that you can get a spot in the shade here!) and started our shopping spree. I managed to max out my Visa card. We spent money at Levis, Calvin Klein, DKNY, Puma, Adidas (I still don't get why there are so much cheaper in the States when their headquarters are less than 100 kilometres away from where I live...), Timberland, Ralph Lauren and many more.
All in all, a great place to fill up your bags (so you can start praying when you get home that customs doesn't want to look into them...)

It was almost 14:00 when we decided to move on. We still wanted to enjoy some beach time  today. We left Orlando on the I4 towards Tampa and almost immediately after you've passed WDW, Florida becomes very rural. There isn't much to either the left or the right until you reach the suburbs of Tampa...

We had booked a night at the Sheraton Sand Keys Resort in Clearwater Beach, which I can recommend. The hotel is pretty nice with a wonderful, sandy beach.
The sand along Florida's Gulf coast is really great, with lots of tiny shells... There is an amazing variety of birds. I was especially amazed how many pelicans there are - and the way they fly so close above the water...

The water, too, was amazing. Very warm and pretty shallow. It was heaven.
... Except for the shockingly ugly condo-high rises and hotel bunkers (the Sheraton was a pleasant exception) along the coast. It really destroys a lot of Florida's beauty. And it was very evident in Clearwater Beach. It looked a bit like communist architecture - after having won the lottery.
Not a pleasant sight.

But there's simply nothing bad I could say about the hotel. Well, except maybe for one little thing: their coffee was abominable. But the burgers they served were all the more amazing.  8)

(//http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs265.snc1/9229_311766075205_786560205_9410349_3695376_n.jpg)

So it looks like that we haven't missed that much when we skipped SeaWorld two years ago.

Quote from: "dagobert"So it looks like that we haven't missed that much when we skipped SeaWorld two years ago.

It depends, I would rather go to Sea World than Universal, the Magic Kingdom or Disney Hollywood Studios. It depends what you are in to. I love Polar bears and Killer Whales, as well as liking Dolphins. Plus I love Atlantis and like their coasters.

Quote from: "davewasbaloo"

Quote from: "dagobert"So it looks like that we haven't missed that much when we skipped SeaWorld two years ago.

It depends, I would rather go to Sea World than Universal, the Magic Kingdom or Disney Hollywood Studios. It depends what you are in to. I love Polar bears and Killer Whales, as well as liking Dolphins. Plus I love Atlantis and like their coasters.

SeaWorld is a wonderful amusement park. We had a great time.

It's just that I would not recommend anyone to visit SeaWorld instead of any of the WDW parks. (Especially after the Studios turned out to be such a pleasant surprise.) Or to skip a day at the beach. Or do any of the other great things Florida has to offer.

But dining with Shamu was definitely one of the coolest things we did on our vacation...

DAY 4 - Naples

After our night at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort in Clearwater Beach we continued on to St. Petersburg - where we got a bit lost thanks to the city's checkerboard grid and number of one-way-streets.

Finally we arrived at the Dalí museum, which claims to have the largest collection of pieces by the Spanish surrealist outside of Spain.
The paintings were magnificent and showed the evolution of the artist really well. Dalí was, in a sense, a thief - using existing art and combining it to new masterpieces.
I was a bit disappointed with the museum itself as it is rather small. I wouldn't make an extra stop for it again. However, they had just broken ground on a new museum which is supposed to offer more space for the Dalí paintings.

(//http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs245.snc1/9229_311767325205_786560205_9410364_689666_n.jpg)

It was around noon and we were headed south. First along the coast which is a magnificent drive. But then one enters "Strip Mall Land". We passed countless fast food joints, supermarkets, hardware stores, drug stores (offerding swine flu shots), churches, car dealerships, pawn shops and funeral homes. A depressing sight.
And it was pretty much all over Florida...

We stopped at a supermarket, got some sandwiches (which were HUGE and one could have almost fed a family for lunch... no wonder the average American looks a bit heavier than the average European...) and some delicious and sinful donuts. (Go for the Entenmann-brand when you're in the States...)

We couldn't be bothered with the strip-mall-monotony of the highway anymore so we took the Interstate towards Ford Myers where you suddenly see nothing along the road except for subtropical vegetation...

After about two hours we reached Naples, which is amazingly pleasant. The city has escaped the horrible high-rise-architecture of the rest of Florida. The tallest buildings here are three storeys high. It's a very residential city with lots of homes - and a very high percentage of respectable mansions. Tropical gardens are everywhere. And palm trees sway in the light breeze from the ocean...

(//http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs245.snc1/9229_311779545205_786560205_9410552_2426485_n.jpg)

The Inn on Fifth was our hotel for the next three nights, which is still a small hotel without belonging to any chain. It had a very individual charm, which I enjoyed a lot. (Except for the heavy perfume they used in the lobby...) Service was good, but had a bit of a certain "Southern laziness" - meaning: they were quite relaxed. I loved it.
Our room (with its AMAZING bathrooms... I just love walk-in showers...) had a nice view of the pool on the second floor.

(//http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs245.snc1/9229_311767480205_786560205_9410367_4148581_n.jpg)

The pool was our first stop. I took a swim and then a nice sun bath while reading an Agatha Christie novel. Next to me there was a group of young English guys that looked a bit like well-cooked lobsters...

After such a lazy afternoon we walked down to the beach - which took us about 20 minutes. You can actually walk in Naples and drivers are very looking out for walkers. Real nice...

As I said: there are no high buildings in Naples. There are homes along the beach - which are then hidden by a line of palm trees. So you have probably the nicest urban beach in all of Florida. Because you just don't see any city...

(//http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs265.snc1/9229_311769125205_786560205_9410465_7987100_n.jpg)

We walked over to a wooden pier, as so many locals and tourists do. This is the spot to watch the sun set - and what a show this is!
The colours of the sky are breathtaking. Then you've got countless birds to watch. And swarms of fish below you.
And then everything happens rather fast. The sun just dips into the ocean... My rhetorical abilities are a bit lacking, otherwise I'd be able to paint such a wonderful picture of what we saw... But as it is you just have to believe me: it was beautiful.

(//http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs245.snc1/9229_311769745205_786560205_9410475_4038287_n.jpg)

Quote from: "experiment627"

Quote from: "davewasbaloo"

Quote from: "dagobert"So it looks like that we haven't missed that much when we skipped SeaWorld two years ago.

It depends, I would rather go to Sea World than Universal, the Magic Kingdom or Disney Hollywood Studios. It depends what you are in to. I love Polar bears and Killer Whales, as well as liking Dolphins. Plus I love Atlantis and like their coasters.

SeaWorld is a wonderful amusement park. We had a great time.

It's just that I would not recommend anyone to visit SeaWorld instead of any of the WDW parks. (Especially after the Studios turned out to be such a pleasant surprise.) Or to skip a day at the beach. Or do any of the other great things Florida has to offer.

But dining with Shamu was definitely one of the coolest things we did on our vacation...

Goes to show that people do indeed have different taste. I have no interest in the beach, that is what California and the Caribbean have on offer. And I do not really like Florida, especially the poor excuse for a Magic Kindgom. So for me, Florida is about Epcot, DAK, Sea World and Kennedy Space Centre. Those are the things that excite me. Everyone is different.

That said, I prefer the Universal Studios and Sea World in California, California's weather and beaches (and mountains, deserts, forests etc.). And I prefer DL or DLP to the MK and DCA or WDSP to DHS. So everyone has a different taste or experience.

I would urge anyone who has not been to Sea World and likes sea life to go.